Fireworks 101
- Specifically, Fireworks's claim to fame is the fact that it can edit bitmap and vector-based graphics in the same workspace. The program is used primarily by Web designers. It helps those developing websites build and tweak the graphics that go on Web pages. In addition to being a graphics editor, the program also allows you to create special design effects such as rollovers and pop-up menus. Many of the changes from Fireworks 8 are cosmetic, providing it, for example, with the same interface as other programs in Creative Suite 4 and ensuring it handles text in a similar fashion as the other graphics programs. For example, Fireworks, Flash and Dreamweaver are all previous Macromedia products, and they have been overhauled to behave similarly to Photoshop and Illustrator in terms of their menus, commands, look and feel.
More than a Name Change
- One important change from Fireworks 8 to Fireworks CS4 is the ability to create an entire Web page composed of not only graphics, but also HTML coding and CSS. The shift takes Fireworks from a purely design stage tool to a full-fledged production tool. The new features, such as styles translating to CSS coding, can save you a great deal of time. The products you create with Fireworks can also be saved and exported in a number of different ways that are expedient for consultant Web developers dealing with multiple clients. In addition to the typical web graphic formats like JPEG, GIF and PNG, Fireworks can export documents as interactive PDFs on which comments can provide feedback. In addition Fireworks documents can be deployed as prototypes on Adobe AIR. When saving as a website, the program can help produce HTML files and JavaScript code for you as well.
For the Web Designer/Developer
- The upgrades between Fireworks 8 and Fireworks CS4 were made with a typical Web developer in mind. It attempts to make the most efficient use of space and make important information only a click away. For example, Fireworks CS4 adds the use of smart guides, which also appear in other CS4 programs. Smart guides produce moving lines that tell the designer the size and orientation of any object he or she is manipulating. It can help, for example, precisely center an object. In addition, Fireworks simplifies repetitive tasks. For example, if you change an object that has been previously styled one way, it can automatically update every part of the Web page that contains that style for you. In addition, with the integration with other CS4 products, a designer can easily import Photoshop and other native CS4 program files into Fireworks.
Additional Workspace Enhancements
- Fireworks CS4 has also overhauled the commands and menu items, making them more intuitive for Web designers. In addition, many of the commands come with preview features to help you easily determine whether a change you're considering works well. In addition, the changes make it easier to navigate around the workspace, collapse and expand various utility panels -- both vertically and horizontally -- and helps to quickly access features you need but also move them out of the way and maximize your graphics workspace.
